St. Catherine's Park

St. Catherine's Park has served the Upper East Side as a recreation hot spot since its renovation in 1996. Spanning the block from 67th Street to 68th Street, the park welcomes children from nearby schools into its popular playground. Adults and teenagers looking for fun or exercise find plenty of it in the park's running track, tennis wall, handball courts, and basketball court.

Although St. Catherine's possesses modern equipment, its design is rich with history. The layout of the park mimics that of the Santa Maria sopra Minerva church, located in Rome, which houses the remains of St. Catherine. A flagpole represents the altar, play areas are the pews, and even the elephant sprinklers are an adaptation of a sculpture that resides in front of the Roman church.